Probus was [673]succeeded by M. Aurelius Carus, [674]born at [675]Narbon in France, who [676]immediately [677]made his sons Carinus, and Numerianus, [678]Cæsars; and having [679]sent Carinus to [680]take the care of Gaul, he [681]marched into the [682]East against the Persians with Numerianus; where, after he had [683]reduced Mesopotamia, and marched as far as [684]Ctesiphon, he was [685]struck dead by [686]lightning, having [687]reigned about a year. Numerianus being much [688]concerned for his father’s death, [689]contracted a [690]weakness in his [691]eyes with [692]weeping, and was [693]slain by the [694]contrivance of Aper his [695]father-in-law.

Carinus was nothing [696]like his father and brother, being [697]guilty of all [698]manner of [699]wickedness; [700]wherefore he was [701]odious to all [702]ranks of [703]people. He was [704]betrayed by his own army at [705]Margum in Mœsia, and [706]killed by the soldiers of Dioclesian, who, as soon as Numerianus was [707]dead, [708]accepted of the [709]purple [710]offered him by the army, being born of [711]mean parents in [712]Dalmatia (for [713]he is said to have been the [714]slave of [715]Anulinus the senator), but a [716]gallant soldier. He [717]took his [718]oath in an [719]assembly of the soldiers, that he [720]had no hand in the death of Numerianus, and upon that [721]slew Aper with his own [722]hand; and so [723]fulfilled the [724]prophecy of him, that he should be emperor, when he had killed a [725]boar with his own hand; for which reason [726]as often as he [727]met with a boar, he [728]used to kill him. After he had killed Aper, he said he had [729]found the fatal boar. He [730]suppressed the [731]boors who made an [732]insurrection in Gaul, and [733]called themselves Bacaudæ, by means of [734]Maximianus Herculius, whom he [735]sent thither [736]for that purpose in the year 285, in which this Herculius was first made Cæsar, and the year [737]following he was made Augustus. About the same time Carausius having [738]seized upon [739]Britain, and Achilleus in [740]Egypt, [741]pretended to the empire; and in the [742]East, Narses king of Persia, being [743]ready to [744]fall upon the Romans, and Africa being [745]wasted by the [746]Quinquegentians, the better to [747]conduct all these wars at once, he [748]created Constantius Chlorus, and Galerius Maximianus, Cæsars. The latter was [749]born in Dacia, not far from Sardica, and was [750]surnamed [751]Armentarius, because he had been a [752]herdsman. Dioclesian [753]gave his daughter Valeria to Armentarius, and Maximianus Herculius [754]disposed of his step-daughter Theodora to Constantius. After this, Dioclesian [755]went to Egypt, Herculius into Africa, Armentarius into the East, and Constantius into Britain. Alexandria was [756]taken by Dioclesian, after a [757]siege of eight months, in the twelfth year of his reign. Ceransius was [758]killed by his friend [759]Alectus, eight years after his [760]revolt. At the same time the Quinquegentians were [761]reduced by Maximianus Herculius: and Galerius Armentarius [762]defeated by Narsus, being [763]haughtily [764]received by Dioclesian, he the year following 297, [765]revenged this [766]disgrace, by [767]routing the Persian army, and [768]taking the [769]wives, [770]sisters, and [771]children of Narsus prisoners; upon which Dioclesian received him [772]honourably in Mesopotamia.

At length, after a [773]splendid [774]triumph, Dioclesian and Herculius [775]laid down their [776]authority; the former did it [777]by choice, and [778]retired to Salonæ; the other was [779]prevailed upon more by the [780]authority of his [781]colleague, than from any [782]inclination for it. This [783]happened in the 20th of Dioclesian, and 304th year of Christ; upon which [784]Constantius Chlorus, and [785]Galerius Maximianus Armentarius, were [786]proclaimed emperors; Severus, and Galerius Maximianus, the [787]nephew of Armentarius by a sister, were [788]declared Cæsars. Constantius [789]divided the Roman empire with Maximian, [790]keeping to himself Gaul, Italy, and Africa; but the two [791]last he afterwards [792]left to his colleague, who had besides [793]Illyricum, Asia, and the [794]East. Of this he made Maximianus [795]governor, and [796]placed Severus in Italy.

FOOTNOTES